In the field of DRAMs, the key issue is the size of the individual cell. One approach that has been followed in the art is the use of a deep trench capacitor, in order to save space on the surface. Once a capacitor layout has been chosen, there is an essential step of connecting the capacitor to the access transistor. Conventionally, this is done with a conductive strap which may be on the surface or may be buried. The size of the strap and methods of forming it without introducing additional process steps are key to economical production of DRAMs.